George t



(No Model.)

G. T. CHAPMAN;

HORSBSHOE.

Patented Oct. 4, 1892.

INVENTEIR WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I GEORGE T. CHAPMAN, OF WHITE PLAINS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO \VILLIAM HARVEY MERRITT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HORSESHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,536, dated October 4, 1892.

Application filed May 1, 1889- Serial No. 309,143. (No model.)

To 00% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. CHAPMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at White Plains,in the county of VVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horseshoes; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists of an improvement in horseshoes whereby the shoe of the right shape for the normal natural hoofs may be used without change of form for deformed hoofs, and especially for the cure of contracted heels and elongated toes, as hereinafter fully described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved shoe with dotted outlines of a deformed hoof on it. Fig. 2 is a plan of the shoe inverted. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the shoe through the heels on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

In a large experience in shoeing horses I find that about all forms of hoofs may be comprehended in the two classes-dong hoofs and round hoofs-the one beingcomparatively longer than round and the other being more round than long, and in my invention I provide an average long shoe for all forms of the one class and an average round shoe for all forms of the other class, varying them in size only as the size of the hoofs vary, but not in form, except in extreme cases of malformation.

The shoe shown in the drawings represents the correct form for the average natural round hoof. It is made of a bar or plate Widest at the middle and tapering in width therefrom each way to the heels and preferably of spring metal, with the heels swaged up from thelower side at a flush with the upper surface inwardly thereof, producing the bearing-supports d, having suitable inward extension for affording support to the contracted heels as well as the normal surface affords support for the normal heels without local enlargement of the cross-section of the bar orinoreasin g its weight, and the inner ends of these projections are bent upward and terminate in hook-points b, which extend a short distance into the clefts between the frog and the re-entering walls of the hoof, so that they engage and expand the heel, the shoe being invested with expansive force either by slightly pressing and sprin ing the heels of the shoe toward each other for inserting the hooks between the parts of the hoof or by nailing the shoe to the hoof near the toe-say at cand then forcing back the toe-clip e, with which the shoe is provided for the purpose, against the toe of the foot and producing backward pressure thereon, which also causes an outward expansive effect on the heel of the hoof and the sides back of the nails, the nails being in the part least subject to change in the recovery of the normal shape and serving as a fulcrum by which the compression of the toe effects expansion of the heel. In such case the nails at c and the hooks at I) hold the shoe on the hoof effectively and allow the expansive action of the shoe Without hinderance of any opposing in fluence which other nails along the sides of the hoof would have. In some cases the hoof is so narrow back of the nails at c that it will not receive the nails of the shoe of the normal form. The nails at c and the hooks b similarly secure the shoe in such cases and the hoof has freedom for expansion to the proper form and may then be nailed farther back, if desired. It will be seen that the bearing projections d oiferno hinderance whatever to the use of the shoe having them for the hoof of normal shape; nor does the normal-shaped shoe lack in any respect the requirements for the deformed hoof; but, on the other hand, it aifords the breadth of bearing-surface capable of receiving the contracted hoof and to which the hoof is to be expanded and with the contrivances of my invention for facilitating the expansion without interference with the functions of the normal shoe presents a shoe for more general use than those of specific adaptation to different conditions of hoofs.

I am aware that shoes have been made with a clip at the toe, together with a notch in the toe of the hoof to stay the shoe laterally, and I do not claim such arrangement, my purpose and contrivance being specially directed to producing compression on the toe by such clip to produce expansion of the heel'or other contracted part back of the toe through the pressure exerted by said clip on the toe, together with the nails by which the shoe is secured to the hoof as a fulcrum, and also in some cases with the resilient action of the heels of the 1shoe hooked into the clefts of the heel of the lOOf.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The improved horseshoe for contracted heels, consisting of a plain bar of spring metal without calks and having gradually-diminishing cross-section and rigidity from the toe each way to theheel, also having the required Width at the heel for hoofs of normal shape for application alike to them and to contracted hoofs, and also having the swaged-up bearing-supports 01, projecting inwardly from the inner edges of the heels of the shoe.

2. The improved horseshoe for contracted Y heels, consisting of a plain bar of spring metal without calks and having gradually-diminishin g cross-section and rigidityfrom the toe each way to the heel, also having the required width at the heel for hoofs of normal shape for application alike to them and contracted hoofs, also having the swaged-up bearing-supports d, projecting inwardly from the inner edges of the heels of the shoe, and also having the hook-points of said supports adapted to engage the clefts of the heel of the hoof.

3. The improved horseshoe for contracted heels, consisting of aplain bar of spring metal without calks and having gradually-diminishin g cross-section and rigidity from the toe each way to the heel, also having the required width at the heel for application alike to hoofs of normal shape and to contracted hoofs, also having the swaged-up bearing-supports d, projecting inwardly from the inner edges of the heels of the shoe, also having the hookpoints of said supports adapted to engage the cleftsof the heel of the hoof, and also having the toe-clip 0, adapted to be forced back and exert compression on the toe of the hoof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE T. CHAPMAN.

Witnesses:

W. J. MORGAN, A. P. THAYER. 

